FOR almost a century the Rural, as it is lovingly known, has taught women how to bake mouth-watering cakes, pies and pastries.

Now Great British Bake Off star Flora Shedden has revealed that she too owes her culinary abilities to the Scottish Women's Institute.

The 19-year-old's mother and grandmother are lifelong members of the organisation, which dropped the word "Rural" from its title last year.

After the SWI asked on Twitter where Flora had learned her "amazing baking skills", she replied: "Mummy and granny are clever talented ladies - and WI members!"

The teenager lives in Dunkeld, Perthshire, with parents Tiffany and Colin and her two younger sisters.

Baking and cooking remain skills at the heart of the SWI

SWI chairman Christine Hutton

The local SWI is Birnam and Dunkeld, which meets in the Birnam Arts & Conference Centre.

SWI chairman Christine Hutton is hoping the teenager and her fellow Perthshire resident, Marie, from Auchterarder, will inspire a surge of new members.

She said: “This year’s BBC Great British Bake Off is set to inspire a whole new batch of home bakers, and we at the Scottish Women’s Institutes welcome the impact this programme has on Scots of all ages.

“It’s the icing on the cake to see two Scottish contestants taking part including 19-year-old Flora Shedden who comes from a family of SWI members.

“Baking and cooking remain skills at the heart of the SWI and I’d like to encourage anyone who is inspired by this year’s Great British Bake Off to come and find out more about us.”

Ms Hutton added that the SWI's new modern outlook did not mean traditional values were forgotten and the charity would continue to teach essential kitchen skills to anyone interested in baking.

A record audience of 10million tuned in to watch the first episode of the sixth series of Bake Off last week, with the contestants asked to bake a Madeira Cake, a Frosted Walnut Cake and a Black Forest Gateau.

Marie was crowned the star baker while Flora forgot to pre-heat her oven for the first challenge.

She explained her mistake saying: “At home we’ve got an Aga and I’m so used to having it on all the time.”

Her comments immediately brought a backslash with critics claiming the teenager, who is about to begin her studies at St Andrews University, was “too posh”.

However, it was Surrey musician, Stu Henshall, who failed to make an impression on judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood and was told to hang up his pinnie.